


Please, Please, Please

by BreezeTheMorningLight



Category: My Mad Fat Diary
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-02-27 00:10:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18727675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreezeTheMorningLight/pseuds/BreezeTheMorningLight
Summary: Rae's having a rough week, but a stranger she meets at a bar might just turn things around. At least the first chapter is smutty.





	1. Chapter 1

She scowls at the man at the other end of the bar, but he doesn't notice. He's too busy tracing the ring on the bar top that the moisture from his pint has left, too preoccupied to notice that she's fuming. His failure to notice her obvious annoyance makes her blood boil that much more. Men. Holier than thou pieces of -. "If I have to listen to this bleedin' song one more time, I'm going to smash that jukebox," she shouts to no one in particular. 

That gets his attention, her desired effect, and he finally looks up from his pint. She does nothing to hide the fact that she's staring at him, there is no coy look away when he catches her and his eyes lock on hers. His mouth is hanging slightly ajar, his unfairly plump lips wet with condensation from his glass. Stupid mouth with your stupid lips, attached to an asshole of a -. Just when she thinks the week can't get much worse, the blasted song starts again. She's delighted that his stare hasn't strayed so that he can see the narrowing of her eyes. "Did you seriously punch in this song SEVEN TIMES?" she can't stop the escalation in her voice.

The man with the perfect mouth gives her a noncommittal shrug before slumping back over his pint, his attention no longer on her. She feels dismissed and she's a bit miffed about it, so she glares at the crown of his head. She places her right hand over her heart and dips her head forward, the steady beat helping to calm her enough to prevent another outburst. "Breathe in, breathe out," she instructs herself, attempting to shake her rage off. It's not his fault that she's acting like a loon, he's just the unintended recipient of her anger.

While she focuses on her breathing she allows herself a moment to look him over. His unruly hair falls in front of his eyes obscuring some of his face, but she can see a hint of defined cheek bones, a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose, and the outline of a strong jaw - lightly covered with a 5 o'clock shadow. If he didn't look like such a mardy bastard, she'd think he was well fit - well, likely every girl in the pub would think he was well fit - does think he's well fit. A twinge in her nether regions tells her that she also quite possibly finds him fit as - even with the miserable look on his face.

She lifts her glass to her lips, watching him over the rim, but finds it empty. She heaves a loud sigh and places her glass down with a heavy hand, a loud clatter reverberating around the pub. She huffs out a laugh, leans over the bar top and beckons the bartender forward. "Excuse me, Mr. Barman, could you please get me another?"

The bartender twists his mouth to the side, gauging whether or not he should serve her another.

Really? You want to do this to me right now? She hasn't had that many, three or four at the most. She pushes her empty glass towards the bartender and points to the alcohol behind him, motioning from the alcohol to her glass. "Snakebite."

"You've had an awful lot already ma'am. I don't know that I really should." He shifts awkwardly from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable with having to say so.

"Are you serious? You know, I've had a really shit week and I could really use another drink, and for God's sake CAN SOMEONE SHUT THIS SONG -" She's silenced by the feel of a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Just get the lady a drink, James," a modulated voice comes from behind her. 

She turns to see who's come to her rescue and is somewhat bewildered to find the fit man from the other end of the bar standing behind her, his hand still grasping her shoulder. He must notice her eyes darting back and forth between him and his hand because he promptly retracts his hand and takes a step back. She's furious with herself for already missing his warmth. 

"Thanks," she smiles at him, hoping to appear appreciative after she'd just scolded him moments earlier for his song choice. 

He offers a small smile in return and a slight nod before turning away from her to make his way back to his seat. 

"The Smiths are great and all, but why this song on repeat?" she asks when he's about 10 steps away, loud enough for him to hear. "It's doin' my head in."

He stops dead in his tracks, turning his head a fraction to look at her, the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "What's wrong with a little Morrissey on repeat?"

She spins around in her chair to face him, her lips pursed together. "Seriously?" she questions.

He stands rooted to the spot, waiting for her answer.

"Maybe it's just me, but this song feels a little stalkerish, a bit obsessive. Maybe I've just seen Pretty In Pink one too many times and Duckie throwing cards in a hat while thinking about Andie really - ," she stops herself when she notices the mega watt grin on his face. It feels like the air has been sucked from her lungs; his smile takes him from daydream to total wet dream and she has to squish her thighs together. "Sorry, I uh - I tend to bang on when I've had a little much to uh - to drink." She can feel her skin tinge pink and then red, and she curses her pale skin for always giving her discomfort or awkwardness away. 

The bloke's smile does not waver, but grows until he's grinning from ear to ear. She watches his hand dart to the back of his neck where he ruffles the back of his hair, his head falling forward to hide his face. "I like it," his voice is muffled, but she can hear him just enough. 

For Lord knows what reason, his muffled compliment makes her feel brave and before she knows it she's pushing the chair next to her out from under the bar top. She waves her right hand at the seat and she waits, hoping that he won't make her look like a fool with a roll of his eyes and a strut to the other end of the pub away from her. She's taken aback when he almost immediately slides into the seat next to her, his hips wiggling from side to side to get himself comfortable. She wonders if he realizes that he's got this natural sex appeal, this easy confidence (or what comes off as easy confidence) in the way he moves that has all the girls within a 10 meter radius staring. 

"So, I - I think we've established that you're not a big fan of 'Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want.' Any other suggestions?" he asks her, his eyes focused on hers.

She lets her left foot rest on the bottom rung of his seat and scoots herself closer. "Guess it depends on why you're listenin'. How about 'What Difference Does it Make?'" She thinks she's got it, understands what he's so upset about.

His entire face scrunches up and he shakes his head vehemently. "Nah, I weren't in love with her and I certainly wouldn't have taken a bullet for her. Had a bit of a rough go at things I reckon, and well - well, she threw me out." He makes a show of checking his watch. "About 3 hours ago."

She watches him closely as he signals the bartender over and asks for a refill on his fosters. For a man that got thrown out a mere 3 hours earlier, he doesn't look as broken as she'd expect him to look. It has her wondering whether it's some sort of pick-up story, not that this bloke needs a pick-up story. 

"That's rough," she speaks up, her hand wrapping around his forearm that's resting on the bar top and she gives it a squeeze before moving her hand back to her lap. 

He's looking at her out of the corner of his eye as he sips at his fosters, tempering what he's about to say. "Honestly," his adams apple bobs, "it were - it were over a long time ago. I should have left months ago. She's not a very nice person." He looks vulnerable and she mentally reprimands herself for her earlier thought. 

"Well, I think maybe 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now,' is a better fit for the both of us right now." She lifts her glass and clinks it against the side of his pint.

"Cheers," they say in unison, smiling over the tops of their drinks.

He's staring at her and she shifts in her seat uncomfortably, causing the hem of her dress to move up her thighs. He's distracted by the new flash of skin, but he still looks like he wants to ask her a question. "What?" she asks him.

"It's just - just - why did you have a shit week?" His eyes are wide and questioning. "You don - don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he adds.

Her eyes squeeze shut for a moment and when she opens them, he's looking at her intently, his head tipped to one side. She takes a deep breath and meets his gaze. "I found my boy - boyfriend in our flat," she gulps back the rising nausea, "and well - he was shagging his secretary in our bed." She can feel the warmth of his skin against hers, his calloused fingers squeezing her hand. She chances a glance back at his face and is happy to find that he's not looking at her with pity in his eyes like she'd expected, instead his lips are pulled together and his eyes are narrowed at the space separating them.

"He sounds like a twat," he whispers, the anger behind his words unmasked.

She chuckles. "He really is. Honestly though, Laura is really much better matched with him. She's gorgeous and smart and - ." The tightening of his grip on her hand causes her to stop. 

"Did you say Laura?" he asks, his eyes blown wide, his mouth upturned in a sneer. 

She nods. "Laura Wellington, his secretary, yeah."

He barks out a laugh, shaking his head. "That bitch, that lying bitch."

Her eyebrows crease, and she's squinting as she takes him in. "Do you know her, Laura I me-?" It dawns on her like a ton of bricks and she's scooting her chair closer to his. "Do you mean - she's - Laura's your ex?" She's flabbergasted. 

He sweeps his hand through his hair, leaving it sticking up in every direction. His body relaxes and he leans his upper body closer to hers, his elbow now resting on the bar next to hers. "Laura Wellington, it can't be. Can it?" He fishes for something in his pocket and pulls out his mobile and shoves it towards her, unlocking it in the process. There on his screen is a picture of none other than Laura Wellington, secretary extraordinaire, with her arms wrapped around the waist of the man sitting next to her.

She winces. "Well, she looks a bit different with her clothes on, but yeah, that's her."

"I knew it!" he practically shouts, laughing, his arm thrown in the air. He looks a lot less angered by this new revelation than expected, he's practically jubilant at the news. 

She can't help the smile that pulls at her lips and she finds herself laughing along with him. 

He stops laughing abruptly and hauls her hand towards him, still clasped in his own. "Are you really upset about ya know - about your boyfriend? I - I shouldn't be laughing, not when - when you're upset."

She surprises herself when she shakes her head. "Not so much about him, really. I'm more upset that he's taken our decks with him, and our - my favorite chair. But, mostly about our decks. The flat is so quiet and I have nothing to drown out the quiet." 

He smiles at her, stroking his thumb across the palm of her hand, his eyes willing her to continue. 

"What if I never find someone again?" the words fall from her lips before she can stop them. "What if he's as good as I'll ever get? I mean look at me - I'm no supermodel," she continues. She's not sure why she's spilling her deepest and darkest fears with this stranger, but they still come pouring out. "What if I'm not meant to find someone good, someone that wants me and only me? Not when I look like this?" She motions to her body with her free hand, her eyes downcast.

He clears his throat and she braves a look at him and finds him giving her a once-over, except it's not really a once-over, his eyes gliding up and down her body twice - no, three times, and finally coming to rest on her face. He smirks when he sees that she's caught him checking her out. "Well, I'll uh - I'll say this, from the moment you stepped into this pub," he swallows, the tip of his tongue darting across his bottom lip, "I've been chancing glances your way, wonder - wondering how I'd get your attention. If I'd known all it took was The Smiths on repeat, I'd have done it a lot sooner."

There is no way this gorgeous human being finds me the least bit attractive. Except, he's looking like maybe he does and he's still stroking my hand. No. No way. "Are you taking the piss?" she asks, her eyes narrowed, but she doesn't remove her hand from his.

His head jerks back as if she's slapped him. "Taking the piss?" he inquires, the grip on her hand loosening. "I know you - you don't know me, but I'd never - ."

She immediately regrets her question and interlaces her fingers through his, praying he forgets it ever happened. 

He must sense her need for reassurance, so he closes the space between them, dragging his chair until it's touching hers, his leg pressed to hers. "I think you're beautiful, and I think your boyfriend is a knob - and uh - and if you don't pull that dress back down soon, I can't be held accountable for my actions."

Her eyes dart down to her legs to find her dress scrunched up to the point that her knickers are almost on show. She doesn't know whether it's the alcohol coursing through her veins or the beautiful man sitting pressed to her, but she makes no movement to pull the dress down where it belongs. 

The audible groan that escapes his lips causes all of the warmth in her body to pool in her knickers and she's squirming against the seat. He must notice the rigidness in her body pressed to his, because his other hand not holding hers is soon on her thigh just below the hem of her dress. His fingers caress the skin of her upper thigh and he leans his head in close to hers, his eyes darting to hers to seek permission. 

She turns to face him and offers him a smile. She presses forward and her lips eagerly latch to his, taking his bottom lip between hers. His hand coasts up her thigh and under the hem of her dress, clasping onto her hip and drawing her towards him until she's just about sitting on his lap. The clear evidence of his attraction to her sits pressed against her inner thigh and she finds herself shifting forward until she's rubbing herself against him, completely unaware of the fact that they're still sat at the bar of the pub. 

It's only the exaggerated cough from the bartender that has them pulling apart, both breathing heavily. She has just enough alcohol in her system for her cheeks to color when she does realize that yes, they are still in fact sat in a very busy pub, dry humping. He pulls his hand from under her dress, straightening out her dress for her as he goes, and helps her back to her own seat. 

She glances around the room to measure just how embarrassed she should be, but is happy to find that she's only facing a few lecherous stares from men old enough to be her father. 

She feels his finger against her cheek and she turns to find him watching her, his bottom lip tucked behind his top teeth, his pupils blown wide with lust. She never would imagine that a man like him would be staring at her like this, so she finds herself doing something she wouldn't normally do, especially not with a man that only broke up with his girlfriend a mere 4 hours ago now, "So, I imagine you have nowhere to stay tonight?" she asks, her voice slightly raspy. 

"I uh - not really, no. Was going to text my mate Archie to crash on his couch," he answers, unable to contain his smile. 

She gathers her clutch from the bar top and slips off the seat as gracefully as possible, holding onto his hand. "I reckon you can walk me home then."

He's out of his seat almost as soon as the question leaves her lips, dropping enough money on the bar top to pay their tab. He eagerly follows behind her, his front pressed to her back as they make their way through the crowd of people. She realizes that he's trying to hide the fact that he's obviously still very turned on from the growing group of pub-goers, so she allows him to wrap his arms around her waist as they exit. 

He pulls a tin of tobacco from his jacket pocket once they're outside and slips an already rolled cigarette between his lips. He looks at her unsure as to whether or not she cares and she shrugs in response, clasping onto his free hand. She's happy that she's only a three block walk from the pub, as her entire body feels like it's on fire from the anticipation. The way his lips suction around the tip of his cigarette and the way his tongue rolls with every exhale of smoke is a serious distraction and she finds herself tripping more than once on the sidewalk. 

She finally gets the door unlocked, her hands shaking a little bit less on the third try. Before she can push the door open, he has her turned around with her back pressed to the door. His eyes flick to her lips and then to her eyes, repeating the movement a couple of times before pressing his lips to hers. She feels lightheaded with the contact and has to grasp onto his jacket to keep herself standing. When he eases the tip of his tongue between her lips, her hands slip to his bottom and she pulls his pelvis forward against her. The growl that falls from his lips has her looping her right leg around his hip and grinding against him, her hips sputtering against his. 

He pulls back for a moment, his cheeks flushed. "Maybe - we uh - should uh go inside, yeah?" he stumbles over his words.

She lets out a breathy giggle and her leg falls from around him. "Oh. Yeah." She pushes the door open and he's right behind her as she steps through, his hands grabbing at her waist and thrusting his hips forward against her bum so that she can feel just what she's done to him. She turns back to him and her hands are drawn to his chest as she steps towards him. She drags her hands over his chest and stomach above the fabric of his t-shirt, enjoying the feel of his muscles contracting under her fingertips. 

He pulls his jacket off and flings it over the couch before yanking his t-shirt over his head.

"Wow - you're - wow," she falters, her hands reaching forward to touch him. He's a wet dream by far. She coasts her hands over his sculpted shoulders, chest and stomach, coming to rest just above his navel. 

He clasps her chin between his forefinger and thumb and pulls her mouth back to his, nipping at her top lip before sliding his lips over hers. She gathers up whatever alcohol is left in her body for courage and slips her hand between their bodies. She fumbles with the button of his jeans, but finally manages to get it undone, sliding his jeans down before cupping him over the material of his boxers. The sounds of his gasped breath has her on her knees in front of him in moments, his boxers around his ankles as she takes him in her mouth. The stuttered profanities coming from his perfect mouth have her knickers already soaked through as she continues her ministrations. It's only the tug on her hair that has her sitting back on her feet, her legs tucked underneath her. She takes the hand that he offers her and he pulls her to stand in front of him. 

His eyes dance over her frame, taking in the curve of her breasts, the dip of her waist, the way her dress flares out over her hips. "Bedroom?" he asks.

She nods towards the back of the flat and he takes her hand back in his and leads them to her bedroom. He takes his time undressing her, letting her shrug off her dress once he has it slid down her shoulders and unzipped. Before she knows it she's standing in front of him in nothing more than her knickers and bra, and usually she'd be mortified and self conscious baring herself to anyone, especially this gorgeous stranger, but the longing in his eyes has her standing a bit taller.

As soon as her bra is unclasped and falls from her body, his mouth is on her, tasting the softness of her breasts. He presses her back against her bed, pushing her backwards as he crawls onto the bed between her legs. He does this thing with his tongue that causes her to let out a sound like, "Mnuh," and her legs fall further apart. His fingers soon find the soaked cotton of her knickers and he has them pushed aside in no time. He teases her with his thumb until she's bucking against his hand, ready for him - who is she kidding, she's been ready for him since he played Morrissey. 

She eases him back from her with a soft push against his shoulder and she reaches into her bedside table for a condom. She presses the packet into his hand and pulls the last remaining article of clothing from her body. He's gentle as he pushes her legs a tad further apart and slides into her, taking his time to make sure that she's enjoying it. She shifts up and forward to take him in, hoping that he'll start moving before her ovaries burst from sheer attraction. He must read her cues, because his pace has quickened and he's meeting her hips with near brutal force. She doesn't recognize the pleas and sounds falling from her lips as her own. Is this what an out of body experience feels like? She's staring up at him and his eyes are closed in concentration. She tips her pelvis up and his mouth falls open as he slides even deeper. 

She is first to unravel, crying out a stream of "fucks," and he follows minutes later as he tips her over the edge a second time. He collapses next to her on the bed and pulls her to him, tucking her against his side. "Well, that - that was somethin'."

"Yeah," she yawns, sliding her hand across his stomach and resting it on his opposite side. "It really was." 

He kisses the top of her head before removing himself from her grasp and getting rid of the condom. It's only when he's standing at the edge of the bed again that it comes to her. "Give me your phone," she tells him, holding out her hand. 

If he thinks her request is strange he doesn't show it, pulling his phone from his discarded jacket and walking it back over to the bed. "What are you doing?"

"C'mere." She pulls him by the hand back into bed and shuffles closer to him, pulling the duvet up to their chests. She holds the phone out in front of them and whispers in his ear, "say cheese." The two looks exceptionally happy in the selfie she's just taken, both grinning from ear to ear, a thin sheen of sweat on their skin, and their unruly hair all over the place. She shows him the photo and he smiles, pulling the phone closer to get a better look. "Can we send it to Laura and Christopher?" she asks.


	2. Christmas Special

"Rachel Earl, who leaves their door unlocked in London of all places?" Linda Bouchtat's voice rings out through her flat. 

She sits up too fast in bed, her head spinning. "Oh my God." 

"Rae, why aren't you up yet?" her mother's voice sounds through the door to her bedroom right before she swings it open. 

He stirs next to her and she yanks the duvet up a little higher on his waist and covers herself in the process. "Mum, seriously? Get out of my fucking bedroom!" she shouts. 

Her mum completely ignores her and steps further into the room, her eyes on the man waking up next to Rae. "And who's this?"

The man rubs the sleep from his eyes before leaning back on his elbows, looking from her to her mum and back again. 

"Who are you?" her mum repeats her question. 

He thrusts his hand forward, sitting up. "Finn - Finn Nelson," he offers. 

"Will your new boyfriend, Finn Nelson, be joining us for Christmas, Rae?" she questions her daughter, ignoring his offer of a handshake. 

"Well, uh - mum, it's really not - ." Her eyes have gone wide and she's at a loss for words on how to explain the current predicament.

"Yeah, sure, I'd love to come," his sleepy voice speaks up from next to her. 

*******

"Why did you do that?" she spits, watching him pull on his t-shirt while she slips her jumper over her head. How was she going to explain this to her mum now? Tell her that there is no way this fit bloke is her boyfriend over Christmas dinner? ' _ Please pass the carrots - Engagement? Oh no, Finn here was just a random shag.'  _

He shrugs, "You looked really uncomfortable, Rae. I didn't think you'd uh - you'd want your mum to know that I was a random bloke you met at the pub."

"I didn't even know your name until twenty minutes ago, and now we have to be pretend to be a proper couple, Finn. How are we going to pull that one off?" Rae pulls on her boots and walks over to stand in front of him with her hands resting on her hips, as he's sat on the bed lacing up his trainers. She thinks she must look intimidating, looming over him like this. Normally she'd try to make herself look as small as possible, curl into herself with her back bent, but she wants to get her point across. "I don't know the first thing about you."

He stops to look up at her and places his hands on either side of her hips, budging her hands up to her waist before she lets them fall. He pulls her forward so she's standing between his legs. "Let's play twenty questions, alright?" 

She scoffs, pinching the bridge of her nose and tilting her head back as if she's got a massive nosebleed. As if it's that easy of a solution she wants to shout. She wants to shake him and tell him 'sure, twenty questions should be plenty of information to show my family that we're a proper couple,' and then bonk him over the head. 

He's still watching her, hands pressed to her jean clad hips, head angled to one side and she finds herself softening to the idea. Surely it would be less of an awkward interaction with her mum to pretend she and Finn had broken up some months down the road rather than the alternative; Linda would be sure to give Rae a lecture about safe sex, relationships, the list goes on.

"Where are you from?" she asks, deciding to play along, she does need to know a bit about him if they have any chance of making this nonsense work. 

"Stamford, in Lincolnshire. You?" He loops his index fingers through the belt loops of her jeans and gazes up at her, tugging her closer. 

Her eyebrows pull together and her body goes rigid. "What did you just say?"

His teeth start to worry his bottom lip, he's clearly perplexed by her reaction. "Uh - Stamford?" It's more of a question than a statement.

"It's just - I'm from Stamford too," she tells him, her right hand coming to rest on his shoulder, rubbing at the fabric of his t-shirt. These intimate touches seem to come naturally to the pair - sure they'd just had sex, but this closeness feels somewhat ingrained in their rapport already.  _ At least they won't have to work on something. _

His head pulls back a fraction, his fingers tightening at her hips. "How is that even possible? I don't remember you." He'd have remembered her, surely he would have, right?

Her eyes close and she rocks back on her heels, debating on what she should tell him. "Well," she looks down at him as his thumb scrapes against the skin just above the top of her jeans, "I - well you wouldn't know me, would you? You're seriously fit and I was just a fat blob with no friends. Plus, I spent a bit of time -."

"You're not a fat blob," he interrupts her, scooting forward on the bed so that his body is pressed to hers, his chin resting dangerously close to her stomach as he looks up at her, his arms coming around her.

Generally this movement would make her more uncomfortable, his face nearly resting against the most bulbous part of her, but he's not repulsed, he doesn't pull away. A hint of a smile flickers across her lips.

"Rae, Finn, are you two ready to go?" Linda's voice comes from behind the bedroom door. 

"Yes mum, we'll be out in a moment," Rae yells to her mother, rolling her eyes.

He laughs and releases her to finish tying up his trainers. "You still have nineteen questions, so use them wisely." He smirks up at her. 

"You better hurry up so we can go grab a few things from your flat. We don't want you starkers for two days " she tells him, picking up her overnight bag and shooting a wink his way. She'd love him naked for two full days, but she has a funny feeling that Karim wouldn't.

*******

"Best mate?" she whispers to him in the backseat of her mum's car. 

"Well, Archie is my best mate, has been since we were in primary. He's the one - the one I was going to ask to sleep on his couch." he explains in a hushed tone, his hand grasping hers and pulling it onto his lap. 

She shoots him a questioning look, her eyes large and searching and he motions with his eyes to the front seat. She looks to the front to find her mum watching them in the rearview mirror. Rae scootches down in the seat, her hand still clasped in Finn's, and rests her head against his shoulder, but not before dropping a kiss against the skin exposed above the neck of his t-shirt. She tells herself that it's all for show. He presses a kiss to her hair and relaxes back against the seat. He really is a good actor. 

"Favorite band?" she asks, her thumb skimming over the skin on the back of his hand. 

"Oasis." He doesn't even have to think about his answer, he's firm in his decision. "Do you have a best mate?" 

She nods against his shoulder. "Chloe. We've been best mates since we were in nappys." She brings her hand to her mouth, attempting to disguise the yawn she's been holding in since they left her flat. 

Finn tucks Rae's hair behind her ear with his free hand. "Get some kip, Rae. You'll get about an hour in." 

*******

She has a dull ache in her neck when she wakes, unfamiliar with her surroundings. The body she's pressed to shifts slightly in the seat and she turns her head to look at him. He's still asleep, his head tilted back awkwardly against the seat, his chest rising and falling with each deep breath he takes. She can't stop herself from smiling as she takes him in with her chin pressed to his shoulder. She's encompassed by the distinct smell that she in such a short time recognizes as Finn Nelson's, it's alarmingly pleasant and she buries her nose against his t-shirt to breathe him in. He stirs next to her and she scolds herself for waking him, she hadn't gotten enough time to stare and take him in. 

He flashes her a lopsided grin when he discovers she's awake and she beams at him in return. "Guess I needed some more sleep too," he mumbles through his yawn, not bothering to cover his mouth.  

"Sorry to have worn you out," she simpers, unable to keep the smirk from her face. 

He barks out a laugh, causing her mum to jump in the front seat. "You don't ever have to apologize for that," he assures her, his hand moving to rest on her thigh as the car comes to a stop. 

"Well lovebirds, we're here, so stop moonin' over each other and get your bags out of the boot," Linda's voice seeps into their bubble from the front. 

*******

Rae watches her sister pull Finn from one room to the next, tugging on his hand when he fails to move fast enough or pay close attention to her. She's been at it for the last couple of hours since they walked in the door, her sister already infatuated with this stranger; Finn doesn't seem to mind. "This is where I like to paint," the little girl gestures towards a small table just outside of the kitchen. 

"Jazz, sweetheart, let Finn sit down for a moment," Linda calls from the kitchen, where she's busy with tomorrow's feast. 

Jazz throws her hands in the air and stomps her feet against the carpet.

"Young lady, get in here and help me with these brussel sprouts right now," Linda shouts from the kitchen, causing Jazz to scurry in to help.  _ Smart girl. _

Rae feels the couch sag and turns to find Finn's eyes on her, he's sat so close that she can feel the warmth radiating from him. "You're good with her," she tells him.

He shrugs. "Always wanted a sibling, but - but, that didn't work out..." he trails off. 

"You can have mine," she tries to lighten the mood, but he's chewing on his bottom lip and his eyes are closed. She's not doing a very good job. She reaches over and places her hand on his forearm, rubbing the soft skin there. "Finn?"

"Well," he starts then pauses, "me mum - she left when I was really little, so there - uh - there was no hope for a sibling I guess. Da - he never found someone else." His eyes are still closed, but he's released his lip. He sounds so sad and she finds herself wanting to hold onto him, comfort him in any way possible. 

She doesn't know what it is about the pair of them sharing their past so openly like this, like they've been friends for years. Maybe they have a connection, maybe all of her years of therapy paid off, or maybe - just maybe they like each other. Whatever it is, she likes it, likes this handsome man with his slightly wounded soul. "Sorry," she offers, "My dad left when I was quite little too, so - I get it." Her hand slides from his forearm to his hand and he stares at her, wide eyed. 

"It's shit, innit? Who just up and leaves their kids?"

She nods, her fingers sliding between his. "They're shit."

"I thought you two were heading to the pub," Linda interrupts them. She's standing in the doorway to the kitchen staring at them. Rae shifts, uncomfortable under her mother's watch . "Chloe's going to be worrying about you, Rae. Get going."

Rae turns back to Finn and squeezes his hand. "Fancy a pint?" He squeezes her hand in return, nodding and shuffling forward on the couch. "Love to."

*******

"OH MY GOD," Chloe shouts as Rae enters the pub, running towards her. It's a somewhat unfamiliar pub to Rae and Chloe, but at Finn's suggestion they decided to try out a new spot. The Swan is no thrills and no frills, it's a bit dark but it's warm and inviting - it embraces you like an old friend. Chloe wraps her arms around Rae's waist and pulls her forward as Rae encircles her friend in a hug.

"Oh, it's so good to see you, Chlo," Rae says, her voice muffled by her friend's hair. She pulls back to get a good look at Chloe, taking in her perfectly coifed hair, her always impeccable style. She smiles to herself, happy to be with her best mate again after nearly 3 months apart. They rarely go this long without seeing each other, but with work and  Chloe's semi-new bloke, the two haven't seen much of one another. Rae's gaze falters when she gets to the glimmering ring on Chloe's left hand. Her jaw drops open and she pulls Chloe's hand to her. "Chloe! When? Why didn't you tell me?"

A pretty pink hue colors Chloe's cheeks. "Just last week. I wanted to wait until I saw you, see if you'd notice."

"How could I not notice? If that thing was any bigger it would be dragging on the floor." Rae takes a second look at the ring, a surge of jealousy running through her. She wrings her hands behind her back just out of Chloe's sight and chokes the jealousy down, admonishing herself for being anything but happy for her best mate. She cracks a smile, noticing how positively glowing her best mate is at this moment. "I'm so happy for you, Chlo. Jacob is a lucky man. Tell me all about it!"

"Well uh," Chloe's brows are drawn together, her mouth set to one side, "is that bloke with you? He's staring over here an awful lot." 

Rae's hand comes to her forehead, a THWACK ringing out around the pub. "Shit." She turns around in the direction Chloe is looking to find Finn sidled up to two blokes and a tiny ginger haired woman at the bar. Chloe's right, he's staring right at them, nodding to whatever the bespectacled man whispered into his ear.  _ Friends of his? _ "Yeah, it's a long story, Chlo." She grabs onto Chloe's hand and tugs her along to the bar with her towards the foursome. 

"Hiya," she waves to Finn and the other three. "Finn, this is my best mate Chloe," she motions to Chloe, "Chloe, this is - erm this is Finn." The pair smile at each other, Chloe's gaze lingering on Finn a bit too long. 

"Right, I'm Chop," the bloke with the crooked grin points to himself, "this here is Archie, and this little lady is Izzy," he points to the bespectacled man and the pretty redhead. "And you're Rae." Chop sticks his hand out to shake hers, grabbing onto her hand and bringing it to his mouth. He places a kiss to her knuckles, waggling his eyebrows at her. 

"Oh boy, you're a charmer," she says amidst her laughter. 

She catches sight of a glare from Finn directed at Chop and wonders what he's thinking. "Don't mind him, he thinks he's a ladies' man," Izzy pipes up, flicking Chop in the bicep. Chop looks down at her, loops his arm over her shoulder and drags her to him until her head is pressed to his chest. "I'm just being polite, I'm only one lady's man." he kisses the top of her hair to add emphasis to the statement. 

Izzy reaches up to pat his head like you would a small child that's done you proud. "I know, ya div." 

"What do you say we find ourselves a table?" Archie speaks up from behind Finn, his hand squeezing Finn's shoulder before he gathers up their drinks. 

The group make their way to an empty table and Chop pulls two spare chairs from the next table. The couple sitting there glare at him as he marches the chairs to their table and offers the one next to Rae to Finn. He slides into the seat, scooting the chair as close to hers as possible. She's unsure as to whether it's the tight space or a real desire to be near her. Rae shakes her head, too lost in her own thoughts when there's a table full of people she's eager to get to know. When she looks up she finds Chloe looking between her and Finn, her lips forming a smile. 

Chloe leans towards Rae, her elbows pressed to the table in front of her. "So, what's this then?" she gestures towards Rae and Finn. She feels a bit self-conscious under the scrutiny of her best mate, but to be honest, she's more uncomfortable with the fact that she doesn't know what they are, what this is. She's grateful when Finn speaks up first. "It's a long story, but to sum it up - em - Rae's mum invited me for Christmas and I accepted."

Chloe rolls her eyes at his answer, clearly not believing that it's anywhere near the real story. Rae huffs, "Fine." Chloe bounces up and down in her seat and inches closer to Rae, as if the closer she gets the more sordid details Rae will share. "Well uh - he's telling the truth - mum did invite him for Christmas, but only because she thinks he's my boyfriend," she stops to look at Finn before continuing. He's grinning around the rim of his pint and she can see a hint of red creeping up his neck. He meets her gaze and shrugs, allowing her to continue.

"Are you not dating?" Izzy asks from across the table, bouncing in her seat almost as much as Chloe. 

Rae decides to ignore the question for now and instead continues, "So, the only reason she thought we were a couple is because she found Finn asleep in my bed this morning." She can feel her own cheeks warming and she brings her glass to her lips to hide her smile. 

"You dirty fuckers!" Chop shouts, "You two shagged and her mum found you out!"

This time she definitely doesn't miss the glare Finn is sending Chop's way. "Hey mate, I don't think the entire pub heard you." Chop holds his hands up in apology, but he can't hold his laughter in. 

"What about Christopher, Rae?" Chloe interjects, her hand on Rae's elbow.

Rae winces. She'd almost forgotten about that twat. "That's the best part, innit? Christopher was shagging Finn here's girlfriend Laura." She feels Finn's hand move to her thigh, giving it a squeeze.

"UCK," Izzy exclaims, "Laura was horrible. I'm so happy you're done with her, Finn." Finn looks terribly uncomfortable, shifting in his seat.

"Alright gang, no more talking about exes," Rae holds her hands up to silence everyone, "let's toast to something."

Everyone holds up their glasses in the middle of the table and it's Chloe who toasts. "To new friends," Chloe speaks just loud enough for the group to hear and she turns to wink at Rae. Glasses clink against one another and they all take a gulp of their drinks, echoing her sentiment.  

The conversation flows and the banter increases as the night wears on. The group is growing louder, their laughter reverberating around the room to the point that patrons are turning to watch the show. Chop has Finn in a headlock and he has him pulled halfway out of his seat. "Admit it, Finn. I beat you twice, not just that one time I hit you in the bullocks and you were out for the rest of the match." Finn shakes his head and jabs Chop hard in the ribs with his index finger. Chop slumps forward, releasing Finn from his hold and Finn hoots in triumph. Finn scrambles back into his chair, inching closer to Rae until his leg is pressed against hers.

"Alright you lot, I've got to get home. Jacob is ill and in bed at my parents." Chloe starts to stand, but Rae grabs her and wraps her best mate up in an embrace. Chloe's breath against her ear sends a shiver down Rae's spine. "Want some best mate advice? That boy does not just want to be your friend, and you better scoop him up," Rae shakes her head, but Chloe continues, "he'd have to be a complete knobhead to not fall for you." Chloe pushes her back and forces Rae to meet her gaze. "You're beautiful and strong," she mouths to her. Rae forces back her tears, embracing her friend once more. 

"It was so lovely to meet you all," Chloe tells the rest of the group, "I expect we'll be seeing more of each other once we're all back in London. I look forward to it." She presses a kiss to Chop and Archie's cheeks and hugs Izzy before crouching down by Finn, a whispered conversation taking place between the two of them. Chloe is looking at him expectantly and grins when he nods. She presses a kiss to his cheek  and waves to Rae before exiting the pub. Rae feels a rush of affection for her friend and wishes that she could have stayed longer, Rae never got to hear the engagement story. 

"You ready, girl?" Finn asks Rae. She nods and grabs her coat from behind her. The lack of alcohol and abundance of laughter has made her tired and she wants to crawl into bed. The pair say their goodbyes with promises to meet up with the other three for a New Year's party at Chop and Izzy's flat.  

Once outside, Finn pulls his tobacco tin from his coat pocket and takes out one of his already rolled cigarettes, placing it between his lips. The air smells thick with rain and Rae wishes she'd brought more practical shoes for the walk. The two walk towards her mum's house, a few inches apart while he smokes and she takes in all the Christmas decorations. She stops at one of the store windows to admire a small train weaving its way through a series of tracks around a beautiful tiny village. 

"Find something you like?" Finn asks, coming to stand at her side. 

She turns to look at him, but her shoe snags one of the bricks in front of the store and she finds herself hurtling forward towards him. She closes her eyes and waits for impact, waits for the pain, but it doesn't come. She reaches in front of her, finding the soft material of his coat with her fingers and she dares to open her eyes. All she can see is the black of his coat she's pressed so tightly to him, and she can just now feel his arms around her waist, his hands clasped at her back. She straightens herself out and unclenches her hands from his coat to stand in front of him. "Thanks," she breathes out.

"Of course." He inspects her face for any obvious signs that she's in pain, before his eyes come to rest on her lips. He takes a step closer, his eyes locked on her mouth. "Are you drunk, Rae?" he asks, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. He's so close that she can smell tobacco and beer on his breath. 

For a fleeting moment she wonders why he's asking, but she pushes the question down and shakes her head. Right now all she cares about is that this gorgeous man is staring so intently at her mouth. 

"Good," he whispers, pressing forward until his lips are on hers. 

T he heat of his mouth sends warmth throughout her body and she steadies her shaking hands against his chest. Just as she presses the tip of her tongue against the juncture of his lips he pulls back, his hands moving to grasp hers against his chest. The kiss isn't nearly long enough for Rae and she finds herself jutting her bottom lip out like a petulant child. He laughs and presses a chaste kiss to her bottom lip. "Let's get you home and out of the cold. There will be plenty of time for more of that."

He drops one of her hands and pulls the other close to his side, intertwining his fingers with hers as they continue their journey to her mum's. They're only a street away from home when Rae stops, causing Finn's steps to stutter to a halt. A small church to their right is lit up and Rae can hear the familiar notes of 'O Holy Night" coming from behind the closed doors. "Finn, listen," she speaks softly, her lips upturned. "It's beautiful." 

He's quiet at her side and she turns to him to find him staring at her intently, his eyes heavy lidded as he takes her in. He steps closer, reaching up to curl a stray piece of her hair between his fingers. "You're beautiful," he tells her before taking her bottom lip between his. 

S he wonders how it's possible to feel this happy after such a shit week, but she forces those thoughts down for now and lets herself linger in the feel of his lips against hers for a while longer. She smiles against his lips, pulling back only a fraction to whisper, "Merry Christmas, Finn."

"Merry Christmas, Rae."

 


	3. Let's Have A Party

"Do you want a beer?" Finn asks, his mouth close to her ear. His bottom lip barely grazes the shell of her ear and she can feel the goose bumps already forming on her skin. 

She takes a calming breath and nods slowly, careful to not catch his face with her jerky movements. "Yeah, please," Rae says, letting go of her hold on his hand. 

She watches his retreating form as he makes his way into the kitchen, Chop hot on his heels. Chop looks like he needs a wee as he bounces behind Finn, his hands gripping onto Finn's shoulders as they pass through the door, Archie quickly trailing behind them. Where one goes, the other two follow. She wonders what the three are doing in there, but doesn't let herself dwell on their activities too much. She reckons they're probably sneaking a spliff - Izzy's been giving Chop a hard time lately about smoking. 

Rae had only been to one other party at Chop and Izzy's flat so far, but she finds herself oddly comfortable being left alone in a room full of people she hardly knows. She doesn't feel itchy in her own skin, doesn't feel like the whole room is watching her and thinking terrible thoughts about her. She's unsure as to whether it has to do with Finn's nearness or if her coping mechanisms are finally working, but she has an inkling it has to do with a little bit with both.  

"What are you doing over here by yourself, Rae?" Izzy asks as she slinks towards her, her gaze fixed on the kitchen door. 

"Finn's getting me a drink," she answers, smiling at her new friend. She wraps her arms around Izzy's shoulders and pulls her into a hug. She's fallen hard for this girl over the last month, her constant happiness contagious and her sweet demeanor a welcomed surprise. Besides Chloe, Rae hadn't really ever had girlfriends, having found them to be devious and two-faced, always with some dubious plan up their sleeves on how to hurt one another. She'd had a rough time in College with a group of girls that hung around with the green lane gang - a group of rough neighborhood boys that hurled insults at Rae every chance they got. The girls would trail behind her and Chloe at school and call them slags and make fun of Rae's size, push them around whenever they got the chance. The worst part was that they had pretended to befriend the pair at first and invited them into their inner circle, but really they just pushed to find out their secrets. As soon as secrets were told, the green lane girls wasted no time in telling the entire College about Chloe's recent abusive older boyfriend and Rae's stint in hospital. Rae was happy that Izzy was different, happy to find that Izzy fit in perfectly with her and Chloe, a cheerful addition to their tight twosome. 

"Room for one more?" Chloe appears before them as if she's read Rae's mind. The girls smile at each other and laugh a bit louder than normal with the amount of alcohol coursing through their veins and it feels like all eyes turn towards them. Rae and Izzy each pull one arm from the other and open up their hug for Chloe to join in, tightening their hold on her when she steps forward. They huddle there for a moment, bodies intertwined. 

Izzy is the first to pull away from the others, shooting worried glances towards the kitchen. "What do you think they're doing in there?" 

Rae shrugs. "Don't care to know really, probably gossiping about us." Rae turns to Chloe, her eyes wide and darting between the kitchen and Izzy. "So, Iz - tell Chloe about your new job," she urges. That ought to distract Izzy long enough for the lads to finish up with whatever they've been doing for the last ten minutes. Whenever the boys were together they were always up to some sort of nonsense. Rae and Chloe had thought that Jacob would be a good influence on the lads, but boy were they mistaken; they had taken an instant liking to him and had managed to pull him right into their ranks. 

Rae's silent prayers are answered when the lads exit the kitchen, Finn at the forefront with Archie and Chop following closely behind him, their arms thrown over each other's shoulders and grins plastered across their faces. Jacob lingers behind Chop and Archie, giving them a push forward when they get distracted by a string of colored lights hanging from the ceiling, left over from Christmas. 

She watches Finn's movements as he crosses the room towards her. Normally he's got this certain swagger about him that drives Rae mad, but right now he's loping towards her with a bounce in his step. Somehow it has the same exact effect on her and it feels much warmer all of a sudden and she finds herself fanning her face with her open hand. 

Rae can see that Finn's eyes look a bit glazed over and she finds herself shaking her head, her lips pursed to prevent the smile that's threatening to shine through. He's got a big dopey grin on and he's staring right back at her as he saunters over to them, two beers clasped in his right hand. He greets her with a wet kiss on her cheek. "Have fun?" she asks as he hands her a beer, his left hand coming to rest on her waist as he steps next to her. 

He casts a sidelong glance at her to gauge whether he's been caught out, his fringe nearly covering his eyes. She can barely see the skin around the edges of his eyes start to wrinkle and he can't wipe the grin off his face and he knows he's given himself away, so he holds up his right hand, beer clasped between his chest and arm, his thumb and index finger a fraction apart from each other to indicate a small amount. "A little bit," he says with a chuckle. His face falls slightly when he catches sight of Izzy, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "You think Iz is angry with me for giving Chop some?" he asks.

A giggle escapes before Rae can squeeze her lips shut and Finn's face lights up. She finds herself giggling a lot these past few weeks - she's become quite the giggler in the company of Finn Nelson. Ugh, she's becoming a giggly school girl, Lord knows what Finn sees in her. "She'll be alright," she assures him. 

The pair turn to the rest of the group when they hear the slap of skin coming in contact with skin. They find Izzy flailing and slapping Chop on every bare inch of skin, her cheeks flushed red and her hair wild. He's bent over with his hand pressed to his stomach and he's roaring with laughter as the small woman bats at him. "Oh you're so horrible, really Chop," she punctuates each word with a slap. 

Chop grabs hold of both of Izzy's hands and she struggles to pull them from his grasp, but he tugs her to him and wraps his arms around her torso, her arms pinned to her sides. "Iz, I were only jokin'."

Izzy turns her head to glare at him and he just squeezes her tighter, placing a sloppy kiss against the side of her face. Rae can feel Finn's hand squeeze the soft flesh of her waist and when she turns to him he motions with a head tilt for her to look at Chop's face. Everyone's attention is back on Chop and he's looking down at the bottom of Izzy's dress, tugging on the hem. "Iz?"

"Yes?" she asks, looking down at her dress to see what he's staring at.

"Did you sit in a pile of sugar, baby girl?" His lips curl up at the corners, but he keeps his eyes on the bottom of her dress, looking between her bum and his hand pinching the fabric at the bottom. 

She wiggles trying to get out of his grasp to get a better look at her dress, but he holds her to him. "I - I don't think so. Why? Move Chop, I want to see!"

"Because," he chuckles to himself, "because you've got a sweet ass." He wiggles his eyebrows and gives her bum a cheeky squeeze before letting her go. 

Rae holds her breath as she watches the scene unfold in front of her, Izzy turning towards Chop with her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Everyone is surprised when they hear her giggle ring out, a tinkle of laughter pouring from her mouth followed by a whispered "you numpty." 

Rae looks around the group and finds everyone with a silly grin on their faces, watching the couple in front of them. She feels Finn shift closer to her, his body shaking with silent laughter as he buries his face against the side of her neck, his lips vibrating against her skin. Rae and Chloe catch each other's attention, both rolling their eyes when they notice the group of lads all laughing like maniacs. Jacob is curled into Chloe much like Finn is to Rae, Chop is kissing Izzy between bouts of laughter, and Archie is hanging onto his boyfriend Barney by the shoulders - his eyes full of unshed tears he's laughing so hard. "Must have been some good stuff," Chloe giggles.

Rae swears she can feel Finn's tongue swipe across the side of her neck before she hears a mumbled "girl?" 

Her eyes dart to the rest of the gang, but they're all so loved up at the moment that no one is paying them any attention. "Yes, Finley?" 

He presses kisses to the side of her neck, his hand tightening on her waist. "I said let's mumble mumble mumble now, yeah?" He presses his thumb to her jaw to turn her face toward him. "Please?" he implores, his eyes dark and clouded with lust. 

She gets the gist of what he's asking for, but she's got no idea what he's just said. They've spent nearly 80% of their time together over the last near month in some state of undress, so she's almost positive as to what he wants. He must take her blank expression as agreement because he grabs hold of her hand and drags her towards the hallway behind them. Chloe smirks at Rae over Jacob's shoulder as Finn leads her around the corner.

"Finn, where are we going?" she questions when the gang is out of her line of sight, but he doesn't stop until he tugs her into the first room they come to and shuts the door behind them. 

She glances around the room and realizes that they're in a bedroom. "Are we in - ?" she barely gets out before his mouth descends on hers, trapping her bottom lip between his. She moves to push him away at his chest, her hands grasping at the fabric of his henley, but he pushes his pelvis into hers and knocks her back against the bedroom door and her words of protest come out a lot like "Mnuh." She can feel the fire growing between them with each kiss and caress and she's acutely aware of his erection pressed against her thigh. She's completely helpless when it comes to her desire for Finn, it's always lying latent just below the surface for any moment they can get their hands on each other. She can't be expected to stop him now.

She's forced to bite back a rather loud moan when he presses his leg between hers and grinds against her. He pulls away from her lips with a smug smile on his face as he takes her in. She watches his eyes dance over her face, his thumb coming up to trace over her bee-stung lips. He kisses her once more before he descends to busy his mouth with the flesh peeking over the top of her shirt, his tongue darting out to taste the saltiness of her skin. Her hands find their way to his biceps and she's bunching his shirt in her hands as his mouth dips below the neckline of her top.  

"Alright knobheads, stop fuckin' in my room!" Chop yells and pounds on the door so hard that it pushes Rae forward and she chest-bumps Finn in the face. 

"Oh my God, Finn," she squeals, reaching for him, "Are you OK?" 

He holds a hand out in front of him for her to wait, his other hand pressed to his nose and mouth. "I'm alright," he mumbles from behind his hand before he darts forward to open the door to the bedroom. Chop practically falls through the doorway as if he's been pressed to the door to listen. "Wanker," Finn glares at Chop who's just a pile of limbs on the floor in front of them.  

Chop scoffs and hoists himself up from the floor to stand in front of them. "Yous two were the ones about to shag in mine and Izzy's bed!" he sounds seriously affronted.    

Finn steps forward and clips Chop behind his ear. "Never got close to that, did we? Not with you with your ear pressed against the door."

"Serves you right," Chop says before he marches out of the bedroom and back through to the party, Finn and Rae following behind him. 

Finn tugs Rae to him and wraps his arm across her shoulder. "Want to get out of here?"

"Yeah, yeah I do," she tells him, steering him towards the front door. She's more than ready to avoid the embarrassment that Chop is already sharing with the gang. She can see him whispering in Izzy's ear as they pass by, Izzy's mouth dropping open. The pair shrug their coats on and wave goodbye to their friends, except Chop who Finn gives the one finger salute to. 

 


	4. I Want to be Your Boyfriend

“Finn, I have 4 hours to get this stuff sorted and over to the hall. That’s not even considering the amount of time it’s going to take us to decorate.” Even saying it out loud is making her nervous they won't get it done in time.

She nudges his near-comatose body away from hers with her hip, causing his hand to slip from her arm to her waist, the weight of his arm resting uncomfortably against her full bladder. A sound halfway between a groan and a sigh falls from his lips as he presses his hips forward against her side.

“You lazy bugger,” she admonishes him, grabbing hold of his arm and removing it from across her stomach, letting it fall to the bed as she finally extricates herself from his hold. He doesn’t even open an eye, just nuzzles his face into the pillow and burrows further under the duvet. 

Rae rolls her eyes and decides to let him sleep for another fifteen minutes while she fixes them a brew. It’s better than dealing with grumpy Finn, or worse yet – rumpled clothes, disheveled hair, just woken up, sex on a stick Finn. She has to force herself forward and away from the sex wizard who has taken up residence in her bed or she’ll never get anything accomplished today.

She throws the kettle on before popping into the toilet. As she exits, she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror, noticing the slight tinge of purple decorating her right cheek. If she wasn’t so bloody pale it wouldn’t stand out so much. “Perfect,” she groans. 

Her hands clench at her sides as she thinks back to the previous night’s events. They’d only wanted to grab a bite before they went back to Rae’s flat; they hadn’t expected to run into them.

_ “No no, you take the rest,” she tells him as she pushes the rest of her masala onto his plate. _

_ “Thanks,” he mumbles through a mouthful of rice. _

_ Her nose scrunches up, but she can’t help but laugh. Had it been anyone else she might have been disgusted, but she loves the way he eats with such reckless abandon. Loves the way he does everything with such reckless abandon really. He's always all in, never any of that halfway bullshit. _

_ “Rae?” a voice comes from behind her. The sound of his voice makes her cringe and Finn must notice because his posture changes and his eyes are narrowed at the person standing behind her. _

_ She reaches her hand forward and covers Finn’s balled up fist on the table between them before turning her head to the right. “Hello, Christopher.” She attempts a smile, but figures it must look more like a grimace. _

_ Christopher awkwardly shuffles forward, looking like he might go in for a hug, but he must think better of it when he notices Finn’s glare. Instead he ends up patting and then rubbing her shoulder before stepping back. “You look really well, Rae – really really well,” he tells her, casting a glance down her body. _

_ “Uhm – thanks, ehm Christopher this is – this is Finn,” she stumbles over her words as she watches Finn shift forward in his seat, hackles raised. _

_ “Her boyfriend,” Finn adds, squeezing her hand. Boyfriend? She knows now isn't the time to talk about it, but she wasn't aware that they had become a proper couple just yet. She can't help but wonder whether it's the two or three pints Finn has had with dinner that's caused him to slip up. Surely he wouldn't want to be saddled with her as his girlfriend. Dating was one thing - but, was she ready for a relationship? Was he ready for a relationship?   _

_ “Finn! I thought that was you,” a shrill voice calls from the door of the restaurant. _

_ She can feel the twitch in his hand as she watches his face pull back in a sneer, but his earlier tough guy posture slackens and now she’s the one squeezing his hand. _

_ Laura traipses over to their table and loops her arm through Christopher’s, looking between Rae and Finn. Her gaze almost immediately focuses in on their joined hands and her face falls. “Oh, I thought this whole thing - ,” she motions with her free hand between the pair, “was just a revenge thing.” _

_ She can feel the twitching in Finn's hand return, more apparent this time - as if his hand is going to jump off the table. "This," he pauses to make sure both Christopher and Laura are paying attention, "this here was never about revenge. You two were nothing but an afterthought," his voice is quiet and measured.  _

_ Rae squeezes his hand a bit tighter before turning his hand over and threading her fingers through his. She can see Laura step closer to the table out of the corner of her eye so she turns her eyes from Finn to his ex-girlfriend in front of her. Laura's fury is evident on her face, her lips are pursed and her eyes are focused on Rae. "What have you got to be angry about?" Rae demands. _

_ "You...you slag, enjoyed my leftovers have you?" Laura spits, her hand grabbing onto Rae's forearm.  _

_ "Get your hand off of me, Laura. You've got no right to touch me." _

_ "I don't care what you think I've got a right to do or not." _

_ Rae rolls her eyes. "Obviously." She looks between Laura and Christopher before she meets Laura's eyes.  _

_ Laura's mouth falls open." How dare you? How - we're in love!" Rae can't bite back her laughter any longer and she's nearly doubled over with the force of it.  _

_ THWACK. She can feel the sting on her skin before she recognizes what has happened. Before she can react she can feel Finn's arm wrap around her waist and he's pulling her backwards until her back is pressed tightly to his chest and he's whispering against her hair, kissing her warm and already sore cheek. "What the fuck, Laura?" he shouts.  _

"RAE!" She can hear him shouting from the other side of the bathroom door, his voice slightly higher pitched than normal. 

She pushes the door open slowly and steps through; she's met with a slightly mussed and twitchy Finn on the other side and he's shifting from heel to toe and back again with his hands joined together at his back. His hair is sticking up on the right side and she finds herself moving towards him on pure instinct, sensing he needs her near.  She wraps herself around him and he somehow pulls her even closer, his face buried in her neck. "The kettle was going off for 10 minutes, Rae," he murmurs against her throat before pressing a succession of small kisses against her skin. 

She pulls back to look at him. "It took you 10 minutes to get out of bed to pull the kettle off, huh?" She brushes her lips against his before he can answer and he responds in-kind, pushing her hair behind her shoulder and cupping the back of her neck to bring her in closer. 

"Finn," she whispers before pressing another kiss to his bottom lip. 

He grunts in response, his hand pushing up the hem of her t-shirt. "

Finn," she whispers a bit firmer this time. 

Finn's hands fall from her body to his sides and he steps back, a cheeky grin on his face. "I know Rae, we can't be late," he finishes with a dramatic sigh. "I've fixed you your tea," he tells her, pointing towards the counter. 

Before she can get two steps away from him he's pulling her back to him and he's examining her face, concern apparent in his eyes as he takes in the bruise. He reaches his hand up to run his finger underneath her cheek, careful not to get too close to the bruising. "I'm sorry that happened to ya, Rae. Laura should have never done that. She's a right spiteful bitch." He presses a kiss to her forehead and hugs her tight to him before releasing her. 

"Not only is he fit with a pinch above subpar taste in music, but I've also got the sweetest boy-," her mouth stops short of saying the word. They have yet to have the talk, the talk to define their relationship. She doesn't need to go around defining it for them. What if it spooked him? What if he didn't remember what he'd said last night? Rae has been waiting nearly two months for the other shoe to drop and today could not be that day. 

"You can say it you know?" Finn asks, handing her the tea he's made. 

"Say what?" Rae bats her eyelashes at him before taking a small sip of her tea. It's still ridiculously hot and scalds the inside of her bottom lip. "You trying to burn my lips off so I can't speak anymore, Nelson?" she jests. 

"Well, Rae - you uh, you are always bangin' on about summat," he teases. "You want me to kiss it better?" He takes a step towards her.

She shakes her index finger in front of him. "Oh no no no, we'll never leave my flat - and then Chloe won't have an engagement party and - and it will be my fault because I can't keep myself from maulin' ya and - and her mum," she comes to a stop when she sees him barely holding back his laughter. 

She watches as he tucks his bottom lip behind his teeth and bites down on the soft skin below, his eyes are dancing with amusement and she finds the nervousness of moments ago dissipating from her body. "Will you help me get the decorations sorted?" 

He picks up a box from the floor and sets it on the kitchen table for her before picking up another for himself. It looks a bit like someone jammed an entire shop's worth of Valentine's decorations into the small box as he starts to pull the contents out. He pulls out some gauzy white tissue paper followed by an assortment of pink ribbons in all different shades and sizes and pushes it towards Rae. "What do you want me to do with it?"

She huffs, pushing the material back towards Finn. "Sort. it." Each word is clipped and she  instantly regrets her tone when she sees how his eyebrows pinch together and his grin falter. "Sorry."

He shrugs. "I get it. As your boyfriend I suppose I have to deal with you bossing me around." Rae's ears perk up at that first bit. Did he just? There's that grin of his again. "Don't think you'll get away with it all the time, mind you." 

"Boyfriend?" she questions, her gaze fixated on the box in front of her.

He inches closer to her and takes her right hand in his left, tracing his thumb across the back of her hand until she looks up at him. "What can I say? Because I want to be your boyfriend." She doesn't miss his mischievous smile or the way he's angled his head so that he's looking at her through his fringe the way he knows she likes so much. 

"Don't think for one second that I missed that Ramones reference."

He tucks his chin against his chest causing his hair to fall in front of his eyes, and she can't help but reach out to sweep it out of the way. "Well?" he coaxes. 

"Yeah," she near whispers. Of course she wants to be his girlfriend, of course she wants them to be together - officially. "Yes," she's firm this time, "I'd love to be your girlfriend."

 


	5. I Want to be Your Boyfriend II

Finn has just set the last of the boxes down on the floor of the hall when they hear the others arrive. Rae excuses herself to the bathroom as they get closer, leaving Finn confused. Chop and Archie barely make their way around the corner and into the hall before he's glaring at them. 

"Finny boy, you OK? You look knackered," Chop manages to get out between chuckles as soon as he spots Finn. 

"Real funny, ya tosser." Finn walks over to the new arrivals, giving Chop a sharp punch to the arm before planting a kiss against Izzy's cheek. Izzy grimaces as soon as he pulls away from her, a bit of his hair still stuck to her skin. "Sorry, Iz," he apologizes, his cheeks tinged pink. "Rae's got me working like a mule." 

"It's alright, Finn. Sorry we're late. Archie had a row with Barney last night and none of us got much sleep," she explains as Finn takes in his best mate's appearance. He hadn't noticed but Archie's hanging back behind the other two, his eyes cast to the ground in front of him. 

Rae walks back in just as Finn is pulling Archie into his arms, wrapping his best mate up in an embrace. She can tell he's whispering something into his ear and Archie's face is brightening at whatever he's said. Pretty soon Archie is pushing Finn back, slapping him in the chest playfully, a grin now firmly set on his face.

"Rae, there you are!" Izzy squeals, skipping towards Rae. "I thought it was just going to be me and the boys for a minute there. I got nervous." Her laughter echoes around the room, but stops almost as soon as it starts. "Rae," she sounds apprehensive, "where'd you get that bruise?" She's examining Rae's face, practically standing on the tips of her toes to get a better look. 

Rae's hand immediately goes to her cheek, self consciously covering the bruise. "Oh I uh - I thought I'd covered it. Is it real noticeable, Iz?" Izzy reaches up to pull Rae's hand from her face, but doesn't let her hand go. "It's terrible, isn't it?" Rae asks.

Izzy's shakes her head and squeezes Rae's hand. "It's just a bit of a surprise is all, Rae. It isn't too bad."

Pretty soon the rest of the gang has surrounded her, clearly wondering what's up with the pair. "What are the pair of ya doing?" Chop wonders out loud, looking between the girls. 

"What's it to you?" Rae crosses her arms in front of her as she turns to Chop, her hip cocked to one side.

"Jesus Raemundo, what happened to your face?" he hollers. She looks to both Izzy and then Finn, but their eyes are focused on Chop. She knew they were lying when they'd said it didn't look that bad. She bites down on her bottom lip, willing herself not to cry. Everyone is going to notice at the party. 

She doesn't miss the glare Finn sends Chop and she finds herself subconsciously shifting her body towards him. He has this gravitational pull and she's continuously stuck in his orbit; Finn provides her comfort when nobody else can, comfort she's never known before, never knew even existed. He closes the space between them and his hand moves across her lower back to her side to tug her closer, his hand resting on her waist. 

"We had a run in with Laura last night and - and she slapped Rae," he explains to the gang, his hand giving her waist a comforting squeeze. 

"Oh what an awful girl she is, I knew she was the worst," Izzy pipes up from Chop's side. 

Rae's smiles small at Izzy, comforted by the heated way her friend is speaking about Laura. "Alright you lot, let's get this hall decorated so we can get this party underway." Rae presses a quick kiss to Finn's cheek and heads over to the boxes he's lugged in. "Iz, help me with the table decorations. Boys, you can hang the decorations from the two bigger boxes."

"Slave-driver," Finn mutters as he walks by her, shooting her a wink. 

With everyone's help they have the room nearly finished with over an hour to spare, even with the lads having goofed off half the time. At one point Izzy and Rae had caught Chop and Finn mid-scuffle, Finn had Chop's chest pressed to the floor with his arm behind his back and Chop was attempting to buck Finn off of him. Archie was merely standing over the pair laughing and cracking jokes about their show being more homoerotic than gay porn. 

"I need a shower, Rae," Finn tells her as he comes up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and pressing a kiss to her shoulder. Her body relaxes back against his and she can feel his sweat through the flimsy fabric of her blouse. If she's honest, she needs a shower as well. 

She tells him that she'll be done in five minutes and then they can head back to hers. Luckily her flat is only around the corner and Finn has taken to leaving a change of clothes there along with his toothbrush. The corners of her mouth curl up unwittingly thinking back to last week when she'd discovered a couple of his flannels in her bottom drawer. She may or may not have pulled them out and clasped them to her chest, burying her face in the soft fabric. 

Rae adds the finishing touches to the backs of the chairs that Chloe and Jacob will be sitting in and scans the room to make sure everything is ready. She clasps her hands together in front of her and appraises their work, noting all the lovely details that they all had a part in creating. Once she's sufficiently satisfied she grabs hold of Finn and practically drags him from the hall, nearly running into the caterers on her way out. "We have one hour, Finn, one." She raises her hand up in front of his face, wagging her forefinger from side to side. "One."

"Alright, Rae," he eases her backwards out the door, "I'm quite sure I can keep my hands off you for a couple hours."

She turns her back to him and makes her way towards her flat, glancing back at him once she's a few paces in front of him. "We'll see."

They're in her flat in mere minutes and Finn is stripping off his clothes as soon as he's through the door. He almost trips on his pant leg when he can't get his jeans off quickly enough, barely saving himself from falling on his face. "Finn," Rae shrieks, "you're going to kill yourself, you prick." 

He turns to her with a bashful smile, smoothing down his sweaty fringe that has somehow flipped up during his almost fall. 

"58 minutes," she tells him, tapping the back of her wrist. 

Rae unbuttons her blouse and throws it into the basket in her bedroom, she slides her jeans down her legs and tosses those in too. Her skin is damp from an afternoon of frenzied decorating and she realizes that she really is in need of a shower too. Rae sets her dress on the bed, running her hand over the delicate lace of the bodice. She and Chloe had gone shopping last week for the party and Chloe had talked her into buying this ridiculously priced dress, but she was glad that she did because it was gorgeous and made her feel beautiful. Although it was a simple black a-line dress, the lace made it look classier, more appropriate for an engagement party.

She's not surprised to find the door to the bathroom wide open with steam pouring from it, as Finn has never been one for modesty. He'd prefer to spend his days at Rae's flat in nothing but his skin, but Rae has insisted that he at least have a pair of boxers on when he leaves the bedroom. She's had vivid nightmares of her mum waltzing in unannounced to find him naked in her kitchen. 

She pulls the curtain back to find him washing shampoo from his hair with his eyes closed, the bubbles blazing a trail down his sculpted shoulders and torso. Her breath catches in her throat and she's stepping into the shower before he's even noticed she's there. She feels a bit like a pervert, watching him like this. Finn startles when he bumps back against her frame, but his arms are quickly around her and he's pulling her under the stream of water. 

His lips find hers and she lets herself relax against his body, pushing her breasts against his chest while his left leg slips between hers. She can barely remember her first name, let alone the fact that they're down to 40 minutes before they have to be back at the hall. It's something about his lips - they turn her brain to jelly. It's only when she feels the path of his fingers on her inner thigh that she has some sense that they've got somewhere to be. 

"Finn," she gasps out as his fingers slide between her thighs. 

"Rae," he pleads against the side of her neck, placing a sloppy kiss there. 

"I thought you said you could keep your hands to yourself," she teases him as her fingers run up his spine.

"I can't," he murmurs against her throat. "I lied." She can feel his tongue sweep over her skin and it sends a zing through her body and she can't remember why she told him no in the first place. Her hips press forward of their own accord and she can feel his need hard between them. 

"Finn, just let me get my hair at least," she tells him as she switches their positions under the water and his hand falls from between her thighs. She's only just lathering up her mess of hair when his movements catch her attention and her eyes drop down. He's standing and watching her, his top lip trapped behind his teeth as he thrusts into his hand, his eyes darting all over her body. 

"Finnnnn," she whines, but he doesn't stop. She hurriedly rinses her hair and runs a washcloth over her body, and then she's pulling him from the shower so quickly that she almost slips on the slick surface outside of the bath. He's right there to catch her and while she's still suspended in the air mid-fall his mouth is back on hers and she melts into his kiss. 

They forego drying off and once he throws her on the bed they're a jumble of limbs, slippery skin and frenzied movements until they both find a spectacular release and collapse on the bed, spent. 

"Rae," he breathes against her cheek, his fingers tracing patterns on her upper arm. She chooses to ignore him. She's turned on her side with her face pressed to his chest and she can't for the life of her move. She's cocooned in his warmth and his scent is permeating the air around her and she's ludicrously happy just being tucked away in their own little world for five more minutes. Chloe's mum is already likely at the hall and bossing everyone around and why would Rae want to be around that when she can be here with him? He shifts next to her and pulls back a fraction to look at her. "Rae," he calls again.

"No no no." She shakes her head and scootches her body towards his, trying to fill in the gap of space that he's left open to the cold air. 

"Should I call your best mate and let her know that you won't - won't be attending her engagement party?" 

She groans against his chest and shakes her head. She's tempted to tell him yes and spend the rest of the day in bed. But Chloe is too important and she'd be lost without Rae by her side, especially with her witch of a mum looming over her. Rae trails her thumb over Finn's hip and grins against his chest at the groan she triggers. She'll never get over the way he reacts to her. 

"Fine," she grouses, peeling herself away from his body. She turns back to him with her bottom lip protruding in a petulant pout and he's doing a terrible job of holding in his laughter. He looks incredibly sexy with his hair all tousled and the crooked smile he saves solely for her, and she'd like nothing more than to climb back on top of him. She's grumpy he's being responsible and making her leave his warmth, so she pinches his side before she sits up in the bed. "Dickhead." 

"I think you'll find you're the dickhead, dickhead," he grumbles as he rubs at his side. "We have twenty minutes to get over there, Rae. You better get a move on." He slaps her bum as she crawls to the edge of the bed to get out.

Her eyes dart back to his, and he has a smug little smirk set firmly on his face, but then she notices the time on the alarm clock behind him and lets out a little yelp. How had they managed to do exactly what she set out not to do? "Well that reaction was a little late," he teases. 

She pulls a pair of black silky knickers from the drawer next to her and slips them on before rushing over to the chest of drawers to grab a bra to slide on, snapping it at her back. When she spots Finn again, he's already got a pair of trousers on and he's buttoning up his white shirt and she sends a glare at the back of his head before making her way into the bathroom to do her makeup. Bloody boys and their ability to get ready in ten minutes. 

She hopes the copious amount of foundation she's put on her cheek doesn't wipe off all over her dress as she pulls it over her head. There is no time to do much with her hair or slip on some tights, so she's resigned to being bare legged with unstyled hair. 

Finn is ready and waiting by the door, impatiently tapping his foot against the floor. She has to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from actually saying the snarky comment sitting at the tip of her tongue. She takes a deep breath before sliding into a pair of small heels and grabbing her purse before she's out the door, careful not to throttle him as he ushers her through the front door. 

"No use in running to the hall or we'll be a mess by the time we get back there," she tells him, slowing her pace to match his. He nods and grabs onto her hand, lacing his fingers between hers. "What is it?" she asks him, noticing the lack of banter between them.

He tugs her closer by their joined hands and plants a quick kiss against her cheek as they continue their short walk. "It's nothing, just thinking. You look real good in that dress, Rae." His eyes are still trained on the ground in front of them as they round the corner to the hall. "Just I - I just can- just can't think of the right word to describe ya. Pretty doesn't cut it. Beautiful, sexy - yeah those, but more." 

He casts a glance in her direction and he must catch sight of the tears forming in her eyes because he pulls them to a stop. He takes her other hand in his and she has no choice but to turn and face him. "Sorry...sorry if I made you cry, girl. I know I'm no good with words and I probably sound like a twat, bu-," his teeth catch the corner of his lip and his eyes dart to her mouth, "if we didn't have some place to be, I'd be taking you right back to your flat to show you just how good you look."

Someone clears their throat from beside them and they both turn to find Archie standing there awkwardly, scuffing the heel of his shoe against the sidewalk. "Chloe and Jacob are five minutes away," he tells them, looking sheepish. 

Rae flushes, wondering whether Archie heard what Finn had said, she wonders whether she's dreaming or if someone as fit and fun as Finn has really said those things to her. She's not left to her own thoughts for long and is being pulled along into the hall behind Finn and Archie. 

Her mum and Izzy are by her side almost as soon as she's through the door. She checks out their dresses, making sure that she's dressed up enough. She'll never hear the end of it from Mrs. Gemmel if she doesn't look her best. Her mum is lovely in a flowy purple dress with thin straps and an empire waist paired with a black cardigan to keep the chill out. Izzy's red hair is shining even brighter against the green of her high-waisted dress that falls just below her knees. Rae's hands clasp together at her stomach and she glances heavenward, saying a silent thanks before bringing her attention back to the women at her side. "Where have you been, Rae? Mrs. Gemmel has been awful- awfully worried that you wouldn't be here in time," Linda catches herself, but not before Rae and Izzy have burst into peals of laughter.  

"I had to get ready, mum. We were all decorating earlier today and we were wrecked," she explains through her laughter. 

Izzy grabs onto Rae's hand, a knowing glint in her eye. With the way Finn and Rae have been since their risqué meeting, it's no surprise that their mates know what they get up to when they manage to sneak away. "Look at you, Rae. You look beautiful in that dress. You're glowing." Izzy adds a wink at the end of the compliment and Rae catches her glance in the direction of Finn and Chop. 

Rae turns to look and catches sight of Finn. His back is to her and he has his arm thrown over Chop's shoulder and he's leaning into the group, chatting with Archie. She notices that Archie's arm is looped around Barney's waist and she smiles to herself, happy to see that Archie and Barney must no longer be fighting. Whatever Finn told him earlier in the day must have resonated with him and she finds herself wondering what he'd said, what made his best mate turn things around. She doesn't have long to ponder, because soon her mum is elbowing her in the side and motioning with her hand towards the entrance. 

Chloe looks beautiful in her short white strapless dress and she's positively beaming as she walks in with Jacob by her side. She's never seen her best mate look this happy and she finds herself clapping and hooting along with the rest of the group gathered around the two. A loud whistle from behind her startles her and she feels Finn's hand travel across her back to rest at her waist. He strokes her side with his fingertips and she relaxes against his side. His breath against her shoulder gives her goose bumps, "It's just Chop, the knobhead." She thinks he must be explaining where the loud whistle came from because he must have seen her jump at the shrill sound. 

"Oh my God, Rae, everyone. This is so amazing," Chloe squeals as she finally gets to the gang. She jumps forward and wraps her arms around Rae's neck, kissing her cheek repeatedly. "You. are. the. best. mate. EVER."

Rae feels like her face might split in two she's smiling so big. "It wasn't just me, it was the whole gang really," she explains, pointing to Izzy, Finn, Chop, Archie and even Barney (although he didn't actually help).

Chloe turns to the rest of the group, hugging each in turn and whispering her thanks before moving onto the next. "This is really something," Chloe breathes, looking around the room, her hands clasped at her chest.  Rae watches her friend take everything in, her cheeks coloring the more Chloe ooohs and awwws over the décor. She's admiring the hall along with her friend when she notices Chloe's face blanches and her grip tightens on Jacob's hand so much that he yelps. 

Rae turns her face to see what's got Chloe so worked up and spots Mrs. Gemmel making her way over to the gang. 

"Great," Rae mutters quietly enough that only Finn can hear. His grip on her waist tightens and his mouth moves close to her ear. "Should we stay close to keep the peace?" he asks. Her answer is a quick nod as Chloe's mum approaches.

"Chloe darling." Mrs. Gemmel leans down to place a kiss on the air next to Chloe's right cheek and pats her shoulder. "Congratulations again of course," she tells her daughter before turning to Jacob. "Jacob, welcome to our family, dear." 

He smiles. "Thank you, Mrs. Gemmel." Rae doesn't miss the tremor in his voice or the way Chloe moves closer to him to intervene if necessary. 

"Rae," Mrs. Gemmel starts, stepping towards her. Her name somehow always sounds like trash when spoken by Mrs. Gemmel, always has. She can feel Finn squirm beside her. He must hear what her name sounds like on Mrs. Gemmel's lips too, like a piece of dog poo she just can't get off her new and insanely expensive Louboutin. 

"Hi Mrs. Gemmel, nice to see you," she squeaks out, her voice an octave higher than usual. Rae watches as Mrs. Gemmel looks over her dress, appraising her worth by the fabric she's wrapped in and the swell of her hips. She shifts a hair closer to Finn and he gives her waist another squeeze. 

"You're looking," Mrs. Gemmel pauses for a moment, "well." Her stare moves from Rae and comes to rest on Finn. "And who's this?"

Rae swallows, unsure that she wants to hear what Mrs. Gemmel has to say about Finn's dodgy taste in women. She goes the safer route. "Oh, this is Finn," she tells her before moving on to introduce the rest of the gang, pointing them out one by one. Rae doesn't miss the look of disgust flit across Chloe's mum's face when she introduces Barney who has his hand in Archie's. 

Mrs. Gemmel turns her attention back to Rae, looking between her and Finn. "And are you two....a couple?" 

"Yes, I'm Rae's boyfriend," Finn answers for her. 

"Oh that's - that's lovely," Mrs. Gemmel chokes out, glancing between the pair. Rae doesn't appreciate the sound of disbelief apparent in her voice, but she's somewhat reassured  when Finn reaches forward with his free hand to grasp hers. She'd been unconsciously fiddling with the fabric of her dress covering her stomach. Mrs. Gemmel had always made Rae feel self conscious, always made her feel insignificant and unworthy. Here she was 10 years later still having the same effect on Rae and Finn wasn't about to have that happen.

Rae tries to hold the wicked thoughts of her youth back, tries to prevent them from flooding her brain, telling her she's not good enough, not beautiful or thin like she should be. She forces herself to concentrate on the feel of Finn's fingers flexing against her waist, of the weight of his arm against her back, of his breath against her neck, and his hand prying hers from her dress. She thinks back to the words he spoke to her not an hour earlier outside the hall, and it helps, it helps enough. Rae isn't the same as she was, she's stronger, she has a good group of mates, she has a boyfriend - a boyfriend that makes her feel desired, makes her feel beautiful. Mrs. Gemmel and her judgmental looks and backhanded remarks can make the room feel bleak and bereft of color, but the gang, her best mate Chloe, and Finn - they make everything brighter, they flood her life with color. 

She won't let Mrs. Gemmel drag her back down. She knows it will always be an uphill battle, that there will always be obstacles in her way, but she's finally happy. She knows that she's worthy of happiness. 

She gives Mrs. Gemmel a small smile, tells her it was nice to see her and excuses herself from the group. However, the gang appears to have followed her as she makes her way to the bar, all of them gathering around the bar top as the bartender brings them all a shot. "What's this?" Chloe asks.

Chop is the first to grab his and holds it in the air before pointing it at Chloe and then Jacob. "We've dubbed this here shot the Dewhurst, after you twos of course - well, after Jacob's name I guess, but soon to be yours, Chlo." They all grab a shot and toast to the couple of the hour before throwing them back. 

"I don't know about you lot, but I'd like to dance," Rae tells the gang and takes Finn's hand to lead him to the dance floor. She hadn't spent all day putting together this party to not enjoy it. He pulls her into his arms, encircling her waist and drawing her to him as a familiar song comes over the speakers. They sway across the dance floor as Morrissey's voice reverberates around the room. She smiles as her friends join them on the dance floor, Archie swinging Barney across the floor while Chop and Izzy and Chloe and Jacob cling to each other and rock to the beat of the song. 

"Please, please, please let me get what I want, Lord knows it would be the first time," Finn sings softly next to her ear. 

 


End file.
